The promissory note is one of the most used debt-documentation tools in commercial and financing dealings, and its real value is that it is a commercial paper qualifying as an executive instrument: on non-payment, the creditor goes directly to the execution judge without first suing to prove the debt. The current best option is creating it electronically via the Nafith platform rather than manual paper forms. This page covers creation, the note's elements, claim periods, and the enforcement route, as part of the Enforcement and Debt materials on Hala Law.
Why Nafith instead of a paper form?
The Nafith platform enables electronic creation and registration of promissory notes with their statutory elements, under which the debtor undertakes to pay a specified amount on a fixed date, a determinable date, or at sight. According to Nafith's FAQ, the platform's current scope centers on the promissory note, and the note's lifecycle runs as follows:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Creation | The creditor creates the note request on the platform |
| Verification | The other party's details are verified |
| Acceptance | The debtor accepts the note electronically |
| After approval | The note cannot be amended once approved |
| Cancellation | The creditor can cancel the request; the debtor cannot cancel it unilaterally |
This electronic lifecycle cuts off disputes common with paper notes: denied signatures, erasures and alterations, and ambiguous data.
The note's elements: a drafting checklist
| Element | Standard |
|---|---|
| Creditor or beneficiary name | Full and accurate |
| Debtor name | With ID, Iqama, or commercial registration number |
| Debt amount | In figures and in words, without ambiguity |
| Due date | A fixed date, at sight, or determinable |
| Underlying dealing | Documented internally in your own file, even though it is not required in the note's text |
Drafting mistakes to avoid: ambiguity in the amount or the due date, and using a promissory note to secure an unclear relationship or a variable amount without documentation.
Claim periods: do not delay acting
Nafith states that a promissory note tied to a fixed due date carries a claim period of three years from the due date, and a note payable at sight carries a period of four years from its creation date. These periods make delay in claiming a costly decision, particularly for debts scheduled across multiple notes.
Enforcement: from Nafith to Najiz
When the due date passes without payment, the route is an execution request on Najiz: the request is filed with a copy of the executive instrument, and enforcement proceeds from notifying the debtor and asset disclosure to attachment and collection. If you hold no promissory note and no other executive instrument, the route is a financial claim lawsuit. And a debtor served with an execution order over a note they consider paid or disputed can look at objecting to an execution order.
Legal transition status
A new Enforcement Law was approved by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 746 of 26/10/1447H. Article 65 provides that it comes into force 180 days after its publication in the official gazette, and Article 7 makes bills of exchange and promissory notes enforceable instruments only where they are registered on the national electronic platforms, with the implementing regulations to set the conditions and controls for that registration. This page therefore carries a visible update date and will be reviewed when the new law takes effect and its implementing regulations are issued, without conflating the current law with the new one.
When do you need a licensed lawyer?
The information here is a general framework, not an assessment of any specific case. The matter becomes a private case calling for a licensed lawyer or accredited advisor when:
- You need a note drafted or reviewed for a complex dealing — financing, multiple installments, overlapping guarantees.
- There is a dispute over an existing note: a claim of payment, a dispute over the underlying dealing, or over a party's capacity.
- The claim periods are close to expiring and the remaining options need assessment.
- You are the debtor who signed a note now under enforcement measures you consider unjustified.
In these situations, each party's position turns on the note's text, the facts, and the deadlines — matters assessed case by case.